I thought deciding who should be eliminated would be easier than giving scores for each song, but I quickly realized I was dead wrong It was tough, but something has got to go and I had to make a decision solely based on the songs themselves. I know it's cruel that your past success won't help in the upcoming rounds (unless you're awarded immunity), but the name of the game is: you're only going to do as well as the last song you sent.

Anyway, let's get down to business:

Captain of the plane

senecadawg2: Agalloch – As Embers Dress the SkyI got an acoustic Agalloch song in my previous roulette, but I wasn’t familiar with their metal side until now. The first clean vocal part has a shoegaze vibe to it, and the song on the whole feels like a mixture of Alcest and early 90s Gothenburg metal like In Flames and Dark Tranquillity because of the guitar harmonies and acoustic sections. Man, why haven’t I bothered listening to these guys before?! This is a seriously awesome song and I need to check out some Agalloch as soon as possible!

Landed safely

Scorpion: Anciients – Raise the SunThis song begins with clean and acoustic guitars and neat drumming, until a cool fill leads to a heavier section and the vocals come in. The build-up is tasteful, the singer’s clean voice has a nice timbre and the screaming is well-executed too. I really like the riff that begins after the first 5 minutes! I’ve heard this kind of metal before, but this song manages to feel fresh and doesn’t come across as a rehash or carbon copy of some other band’s music.

Lolzeez: Dredg – Bug EyesDredg is one of those ten million bands I’ve heard of but never actually listened to. I’ve heard them being referred to as a prog band, but this song is pretty accessible (not that it’s a bad thing!). Solid alt rock with some cool drumming and guitar work, plus nice vocals. No complaints!

kingshmegland: Echolyn – The End Is BeautifulThe first minute of this song is probably more diverse than Nickelback’s entire discography! I thought it was going to be some kind of ambient alt rock, until the heavy organ riff started, and then the verse shook things up again. As you said, the lyrics are pretty dark, and I think they are like something Steven Wilson might write, albeit not as gloomy as Porcupine Tree or his solo works. Great tune!

LieLowTheWantedMan: Psychotic Waltz – Out of MindThrashy old-school prog metal! This sounds like something Fates Warning might’ve done in the No Exit era, albeit heavier (funnily enough, "Parallels [Full Album]" is in the related videos!). The singer has a unique voice and at first I wasn’t sure whether he was a man or a woman. The simple yet heavy riff at 2:19 is -worthy and the chorus(?) is short yet memorable.

Shadow Ninja: Red House Painters – Katy SongRHP is a familiar name, as I’m a huge Katatonia fan and they’ve been influenced by this band. There’s plenty of atmosphere and minimalistic melancholy here, and that’s exactly what I enjoy. The vocalist has a slightly monotonous voice, but so do a lot of singers I like, so it doesn’t matter. The song gets a little repetitive towards the end, but apart from that it’s very enjoyable.

GentlemanofDread: Coheed and Cambria – Carol AnnThe acoustic intro feels like it could be in a folk/singer-songwriter tune. The vocalist sings in a pretty original way – his voice is dramatic, but not to the point where it gets on your nerves. The song gets powerful towards the end, although the instrumentation remains the same. The absolute lack of drums is surprising, but I like it when bands do unexpected things. I did receive a C&C song in my previous roulette and it was pretty different, being heavier, but this one left a better impression.

Onno: Leprous – Forced EntryOk, this is the third Leprous song I’ve listened to during my career as a roulette host The heavy riff mixed with the bizarre keyboard sound is kind of weird, but it works. The transitions between the heavy and soft parts are really well done! The part with the wordless vocals is the highlight of the song IMO, although the really high vocals at 9:30 made me think “woah”. Fun fact: I was 100% sure Jens Bogren had mixed this, because the drum sound felt so familiar, and after checking out the album credits it turned out I was right!

adace: Insomnium – Mortal ShareI’ve heard some stuff from the last two or three albums by Insomnium before, but unfortunately I’ve found their music pretty generic and typical Finnish melodeath. This song doesn’t exactly shine with originality either and doesn’t deviate from their formula, but it’s a little better than the ones I’ve heard. The chorus riff is pretty cool and I like the mellow bit in the bridge. Hopefully their music works well live, because they’re supporting Arch Enemy when I see them live in September.

Parachute opened

Gorille85: Röyksopp & Robyn – Do It AgainThis kind of stuff is a bit more commercial than the electronic music and pop I’ve listened to, but as an open-minded listener I don’t mind. There are good melodies and the song is catchy, as a good pop tune should. Unfortunately I’m left longing for more, as the song feels a little too short. However, I'm curious to hear more of you, since this song truly stuck out from the rest in this round and it's good for me to get out of my comfort zone once in a while.

Evermind: Beyond the Bridge – The ApparitionI like the Arabic vibe and the sitar in the beginning, although I could do without the spoken word part (concept or not! ). Then the song gets closer to standard symphonic/prog metal, but the more up-tempo and rocking part after that is cool, and so is the Opeth-y section around the 5-minute mark. Although all the different sections and parts of the song are good, I wish they were given more time and room to develop, because the changes between them are pretty sudden and quick.

jingle.boy: Backhand – IntrospektionThe intro kind of threw me off with those unexpected pauses… This song begins in a pretty epic and heavy way, but it’s followed by a nice melodic part, after which it goes into 70s mode. The organ and Moog playing is pretty cool! The production sounds kind of muddy, but it's the song itself that I'm supposed to judge. My attention tended to drift at times while listening, as I’m not big on instrumental music in general, especially when the songs are as long as this, which is why I considered it for elimination.

Parachute didn't open

MoraWintersoul: Shineback – Crush CultureYou did send that exact Taranis song in my previous roulette, but I didn’t accept it back then because of the time limit, so you sent another one. This time there’s no time limit, but I wanted something fresh and new, and therefore listened to this instead. This is a decent dance song, but unfortunately the final “wow” factor is missing. The singer’s voice sounds off-key in the first verse and I find the crowd noise kind of pointless, as I got the impression this isn’t a live release.

Sacul: David Maxim Micic – Mbinguni AminaThe creepy samples in the beginning remind me of Chroma Key’s Hell Mary. I thought this was gonna be some kind of avant-garde jazz because of the horns and the drumming, but after a while some downtuned djent-y guitars kick in. As if that’s not enough, there’s bluesy soloing as well… After a quick Google search it turns out this dude is Serbian, which probably answers the question of what language the lyrics are in – sounds exotic for sure! While this song is certainly interesting, unfortunately it’s too “out there” for my taste and sounds like a mishmash of too many different elements.

In summary: Milena and Sacul are out, the rest continue in the game and Seneca can't be eliminated in the next round.

As I said in the OP, I'll be gone until Sunday and won't be able to start listening until after that. This means the next results will be posted on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, but I hope you have patience

I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the song. I can't recommend Agalloch highly enough. One of my favorite bands ever. I'd recommend Ashes Against the Grain and The Mantle as good starter albums, if you're interested in exploring further!

Fixed for me . Oh well, I thought you would be blown away and I get this

Tastes: wouldn't it be easier if we all just had the same?

It would definitely help for this roulette . I had tried that song on Plug.dj a few times and got great results, so it seemed safe for me - but it doesn't matter now. I'm still waiting for Shadow Ninja's results, so I have some hopes

Sorry, I've been busy lately! I know who's going to get eliminated, but I haven't finished the write-ups yet. I'll try to get them done tomorrow because they're on my computer, which I can't use today.

Both my favorite and least favorite songs in this round turned out to be the non-metal stuff. Eliminating players isn't nice, but I have to admit that this time it wasn't tough to decide whose game ends here. The songs in the third tier weren't considered for elimination, but I felt they weren't on par with the best stuff, so I kept the same structure for the ranking.

Captain of the ship

Shadow Ninja: Sarah Fimm – Walk AwayNot a Sisters of Mercy cover despite the title! I have a soft spot for piano-driven ballads, so this is right up my alley. The vocals are nice and the rhythm and the atmosphere are relaxing. Neat mixture of singer-songwriter stuff and trip hop! Not much else to say, congrats for the first place!

Relaxing on the deck

GentlemanofDread: White Willow – Storm SeasonThe dark electronic intro caught my attention right away and I knew this would be a great song. There’s a pretty mystic and even slightly creepy vibe here… The strings add to the atmosphere and the singer has a nice timbre. Definitely the most interesting song of the round, although not my favorite

senecadawg2: David Gray – GullsAlthough I prefer to listen to studio recordings, I would’ve accepted the live song you sent, but unfortunately the video is blocked in my country. Well, luckily you also sent this studio track! The haunting keyboard line is effective in its minimalism. In the climax of the song the acoustic guitars blend with the buzzing synth in a successful way. Gray’s voice is a little indie-sounding, but fortunately not annoying like a lot of indie male vocalists. This tune has a pleasant mood and the video accompanies it nicely.

jingle.boy: ReVamp – The Anatomy of a Nervous Breakdown': NeurastheniaWell, I can definitely imagine this as a soundtrack to a nervous breakdown! I had no idea Floor’s own project played such aggressive music, but my knowledge of all the bands and projects she’s been part of it is limited anyway. The vocals are clearly the thing that stands out in the song, although it’s also good musically. The flying Dutchwoman has got some pipes and Devin’s guest appearance is impressive too.

Scorpion: Novembre – NothjingradNovembre is a familiar name, as they opened for Opeth and Katatonia in 2001 and I’ve heard they sound like Opeth. The acoustic intro is pretty and the build-up is good. The clean guitar bit and the riff it leads into after 3:30 are awesome! I wasn’t sold on the vocals at first, but they grew on me on the second listen already and they fit the music really well.

adace: Draconian – Seasons ApartAs a doom metal fan I recognize the band name, although I haven’t listened to them before. The verses with female vocals and piano are beautiful and the little clean guitar lead after 4 minutes is pretty nice. You can definitely hear the influence of Paradise Lost and Katatonia here, which isn’t a bad thing as both bands are up there with my all-time favorites. Like the Insomnium song you sent last round, this one isn’t exactly innovative or groundbreaking, but it’s enjoyable and has a great atmosphere.

LieLowTheWantedMan: Have a Nice Life – BloodhailThe electronic(?) drum beat is pretty hypnotic and I love the bassline. Although this is more hard-edged and less dreamy than Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine, there are clear shoegaze influences and elements. I could do without the repetitive mantra in the second half (is he saying “steroids”? ), but the atmosphere is so captivating that it doesn’t make the song worse.

In a life saving boat

Onno: Strapping Young Lad – Far Beyond MetalAlright, this is some bad-ass metal! The riffing is meaty and the guitar harmonies are cool. Devin is a good screamer, although I prefer his melodic voice. I looked up the lyrics and they are funny, but I don’t like the overuse of the f-word, as swearing in music rarely sounds good to my ears. I couldn’t imagine listening to a full album of this kind of stuff, but as an individual song this is a fun listen.

Evermind: Savatage – He Carves His StoneThe intro sounds similar to The Lady Wore Black by Queensryche, so I thought this was going to be a ballad-y song, but it quickly gets a lot heavier. But hey, isn’t this was prog is about? There are some great guitar leads and riffs here. The chorus is kind of repetitive and the super-high vocals at the end are a bit too over-the-top for my taste, but overall this song is good enough to let you get into the next round.

kingshmegland: I Mother Earth – Soft Bomb SaladI know who gets the “weirdest song title” award this round! The dark verses are cool with the bassline and all, but I don’t like the major-key chorus, as it feels pretty jarring despite bringing some variety. The gloomster in me can be picky sometimes... To be fair, the awesome instrumental bridge saves the song – nice riffing! BTW, didn’t these guys open for both Rush and DT back in the day?

Overboard

Lolzeez: Animal Collective – My GirlsNice synth intro! The problem is, that’s basically the whole song. There’s potential, but unfortunately the constant repetition of the synth line and the chorus kills it. Of course I listen to some bands like Anathema that write songs based on one or two melodies, but they manage to keep it interesting while this didn’t. Sorry to drop you out so early, but the competition is fierce!

Gorille85: Her Name is Calla – Pour More OilStarting a song with over half a minute of silence is not exactly the best way to generate interest, especially when it takes a couple more minutes before anything interesting happens. The use of violin and horns is neat and the song is pretty unique, but sadly I’m not into the “ooooh” vocals.

So... Shadow Ninja earns immunity for the next round, while Lolz and Gorille are out and the rest get to continue their journey.